Wearable telecommunication devices based on a necklace, collar, neckband, headband or other similar load-carrying structure are often used as an interface between a human being and a technical system, which may be a telecommunication system, a computer system, an entertainment system, a medical system, a security system, etc.
Known stereo headsets in the form of a necklace, collar, neckband, either of a neck half-loop or a neck loop type, have predominantly two types of connection between earphones and the neck part: headsets with two side nodes, in which earphone cords are connected with the neck part and do not have connections between themselves, and headsets with a single node, in which earphone cords are connected to each other and to the neck loop in a single node.
A conventional headset (U.S. Pat. No. 7,416,099B2) comprises earphones connected through cords to a supporting structure, which accommodates a signal transceiver, and is connected to a necklace (neck loop). The headset comprises long unsecured portions of cords connecting the earphones to the neck loop, because the additional length is needed when the user rotates and moves the head relative to the torso. The headset has two nodes and the length of the movable portion of the cords in the headset is more than 19 cm. The cords hang freely along the entire length thereof in the air over the user's body surface, so they have slack and might tangle and cling to surrounding objects. In addition, the headset is difficult to wear under clothing, both in the operational and non-operational position, i.e., when the earphones are taken off the ears.
A known earphone storage structure (U.S. Pat. No. 7,936,895B2) comprises a necklace (similar to a neck loop), two fasteners formed in the two ends of the necklace, and stoppers. The size of the fasteners is smaller than the size of the stoppers and the size of the earphones, therefore the earphones may be pulled out when they are not used. The stoppers connection form nodes, and this device relates to headsets with two side nodes. The earphone storage structure has the same limitations as the previous device: cords have slack, and the structure is difficult to wear under clothing, and managing it through clothing is not convenient.
A lanyard for a portable electronic device (U.S. Pat. No. 7,650,007B2) comprises two side connection nodes and allows adjusting the length of earphone cords, but the lanyard does not eliminate sagging of cords in the operational position.
In a necklace-type audio device (WO2012015257A1), earphone cords form a neck loop when they are attached at their ends to a jack disposed on the user's chest, and crossed through two rings disposed in the back of the necklace (neck loop), the rings being adapted to adjust the length of the neck loop and earphone cords. In this device, the length of the cords connecting the earphone to the necklace (neck loop) is even longer than in necklace-type headsets with two side nodes; this contributes to slacking the cords, and the way of adjusting the length of cords in the headset eliminates a possibility of wearing the device under clothes.
A known modular personal audio device (WO2005022872A1) and (US20070021073A1) comprises a necklace having a winding device for headphone cords. These cords are connected to the rear part of the necklace and may be coiled when the headphones are in the non-operational position. However when the cords are in the operational position, they are still loose and so remain movable, and freely hang over the user's head during rotation of the head. Hook-type holders are provided for securing the headphones to the auricle. This makes wearing the device noticeable and inconvenient. The device does not have any controls means.
There is a known headset (US20010010727A1) to be mounted upon glasses, the headset comprising a half-rigid anatomic headband in which headphone cords are disposed. The cords extend from the occipital side of the headband and form a freely located loop on the way to the device connected to the headset. This makes wearing the headset noticeable and inconvenient. The device does not have any controls means.
There is a known headset (US20020043545A1) comprising a headphone and a microphone, the headset provided in the form of a wire loop bearing the device connected to the headset. This makes wearing the headset noticeable and inconvenient. The device does not have any controls means.
There is a known headset (US2002065115A1) which comprises one or two headphones and one or two microphones, the headset provided in the form of a wire loop bearing the device connected to the headset. The headphones are connected to the device by separate cords. This makes wearing the headset noticeable and inconvenient. The device does not have any controls means.
There is a known electronic telecommunication device (US20020090099A1) comprising a microphone located in an electronic unit hanging on the user's chest, using a wire loop, and a headphone connected to the electronic unit by a separate cord, wherein the electronic unit comprises controls means and (optionally) a power supply unit fastened to the back side of the wire loop on the user's neck. This makes wearing the device noticeable and inconvenient.
There is a known headset (US20030096640A1) comprising a holder of an external electronic telecommunication device, a headphone and a retracting and coiling device for the headphone cord, the retracting device further providing securing the headphone when it is in a non-operational position. The headphone is connected to the telecommunication device by a separate cord, and the device is positioned in a pocket or fastened to a belt, etc. This makes wearing the headset noticeable and inconvenient. The device does not have any controls means.
There is a known headset (US20030104842A1) comprising a microphone located in an electronic unit hanging on the user's chest, using a wire loop, and a headphone connected to the electronic unit by a separate cord. This makes wearing the headset noticeable and inconvenient.
There is a known headset (US2004157649A1) in the form of spectacles, comprising headphones secured on the spectacle frame, an electronic unit and a control means. The headset comprises massive spectacle sides accommodating the electronic unit and a power source and so having a considerable weight. This makes wearing the headset noticeable and inconvenient.
There is a known loop (US20070080186A1) for retaining an electronic device, wherein cords are located inside the loop, and the user is able to change the point where the cord leaves the loop and to adjust the length of the loose part of the cord by moving a clip. However this makes wearing the headphones noticeable and inconvenient during rotation of the head.
There is a known wire loop (US20070053523A1) for retaining an electronic device, wherein the user is able to adjust the length of the loose part of the cords by moving a clip. However this makes wearing the headphones noticeable and inconvenient.
There is a device (US20100151922A1) for retracting and coiling a headphone cord and for securing the headphone when it is in the non-operational position. The headphone is connected to the telecommunication device by a separate cord, and the device is positioned inside an electronic apparatus which may be positioned in a pocket or fastened to a belt, etc. This makes wearing the headphone noticeable and inconvenient. The device does not have any controls means.
There is a known headset (US2008143954A1), (US20110051982A1) in the form of spectacles comprising headphones to be secured on the spectacle frame when the headphones are in the non-operational position and connected by separate cords to an electronic unit located on the user's occiput. The headset has a considerable weight and the electronic unit observably extends from the user's head surface. This makes wearing the headset noticeable and inconvenient.
There is a device (US20110130174A1) for retracting and coiling a headphone cord. Headphones are connected to an electronic apparatus by separate cords, and the device is positioned on the surface of the apparatus which may be placed in a pocket or fastened to a belt, etc. This makes wearing the headphone noticeable and inconvenient. The device does not have any controls means.
There is a known headset (US20110170723A1) comprising a rigid anatomic headband in which an electronic device and a power source are disposed, so the headset has a considerable weight. The headset does not contain hanging wires, however the considerable size and weight of the rigid headband make wearing the headset noticeable and inconvenient.
There is a known headset (US2008283651A1) comprising a loop for bearing the headset on the user's neck, headphones and a device for retracting and coiling the cord extending from the headset to an external electronic device which may be placed in a pocket or fastened to a belt, etc. This makes wearing the headphone noticeable and inconvenient. The device does not have any controls means.
A known modular personal audio device (US2009318198A1) comprises headphones connected by separate cords to an electronic unit comprising a power source and located on the user's neck's back side. The separate cords are disposed at the level of lower part of user's auricles, so this makes wearing the device noticeable and inconvenient.
There is a known wire loop (WO2003103255A1) for bearing an electronic device, wherein the user is able to adjust the length of the loose part of the headphone cords by moving a clip, and magnets are used to retain the headphones in the non-operational position. However when the user changes length of the headphone cords, size of the neck loop changes correspondingly, and the cords comprise loose parts. All this makes wearing the headphone noticeable and inconvenient.
There is a known wire loop (WO2006031320A1) for bearing an electronic device, wherein a headphone is connected to the device by a separate cord. A loose part of the cord makes wearing the headphone noticeable and inconvenient.
There is a known audio player (WO2009019517A2) aggregated with a rigid headband, wherein an electronic device and control means are disposed in a rear part of the headband located on the back surface of the user's neck. A rigid configuration of the player makes its wearing noticeable and control turns out to be inconvenient.
There is a known headset (CH681841A5) comprising an open rigid loop having a throat microphone at one end thereof and a headphone to be secured on the user's auricle when the headphone is in the operational position. The headphone is connected to the loop by a separate cord. A rigid configuration of the headset makes its wearing noticeable and incompatible with certain types of clothes. The device does not have any controls means.
There is a known headset (WO2010019634A2) comprising an open rigid loop having a microphone located at one end thereof and headphones connected to the loop by separate cords. A loose part of the cord makes wearing the headphone noticeable and inconvenient. A rigid configuration of the loop is incompatible with certain types of clothes.
There is a known headset (RU2177675C2) comprising a laryngophone to be located on the temporal part of the user's head and a headphone, wherein the operational position of the laryngophone and the headphone are ensured by a flexible bandage positioned on the head. The bandage makes wearing the headset noticeable and incompatible with certain types of headwear.
Therefore, the conventional devices, first, comprise excessively long unsecured portions of cords that connect the head part of a headset having a neck loop (in headsets with a single node the length of freely hanging cords is about 19 cm, and in headsets with two side nodes it is about 25 cm) and, second, unsecured portions of cords in the conventional devices do not fit to the body surface. The cord slack cannot be fully removed without restricting the freedom of movement of the user's head. Therefore, when the devices are used, the cords either slack, tangle and cling to surrounding objects, or restrict freedom of the user's movement.
Therefore, no device suitable for constant wearing has been designed up to now, which device would have a small total length of freely hanging cords snugly fitted to the body and creating no impediments to movements of the head. Such a device shall provide improved user experience by facilitating easy use, assuring secure fixation thereof on the user's body, and preventing failures caused by the cords clinging to surrounding objects.
In general, the degree of slack of cords depends on the following factors:                the length of movable portion of cords between fixed points. In all conventional neck headsets this is the length of the cord between an earphone and the neck loop, so the shorter the movable portion of the cord, the less the slack is;        cord tension;        degree of adherence of the cord to the body surface;        position of the cords; cords disposed on a plane do not slack as opposed to cords hanging in the air or lying above natural depressions on the surface of user's body.        
The impact of the above factors is illustrated in the drawings and further explained by examples of conventional devices and a device according to the invention.
It shall be noted here that some new types of headphones having different configuration have come up recently. This caused some confusion in terms describing headphones in patent and engineering publications.
Particularly, the term “earphone” is construed by Wikipedia as follows: “Earphone consist of individual units that plug into the user's ear canal”, however the same article further recites: “Earphones are very small headphones that are fitted directly in the outer ear, facing but not inserted in the ear canal”.
Sometimes, the term “earphone” is applied to conventional headphones. For example, claims of U.S. Pat. No. 8,194,909, entitled “Earphone, headset and ear protector” recite “an earphone comprising a hoop with a first and a second pivot point”, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,111,858 discloses an earphone as a “supra-aural headphone”.
The above review of the prior art indicates that in order to avoid any confusion and assure precise meaning of a key feature of the invention, this term shall be clarified. The purpose of this invention may be achieved when the earphone is exactly the in-ear earphone. Therefore, in order to avoid any confusion, the term “earphone” used herein means exactly “in-ear earphone”.